Bengals unhappy with safety call, NFL says refs got it right

Posted by Michael David Smith on November 1, 2013, 7:27 AM EST

AP

Members of the Bengals said after Thursday night’s walk-off safety that they thought the officials got the call wrong, and that Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton was outside the end zone when Miami’s Cameron Wake hit him and pushed him back in. But the NFL says the officials got the call right.

“In my opinion, the ball was out of the end zone and so I don’t get it,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, who is a member of the NFL’s competition committee.

Dalton admitted that he doesn’t know the rule, but he felt like he was beyond the goal line before Wake tackled him into the end zone.

“I don’t know exactly the rule, if it’s the foot or the ball — I don’t know what it is. From the replay I thought it was out, but I don’t know. I’m obviously not an official. I don’t know how they judge that,” Dalton said.

But the rule is clear: The position of Dalton’s feet or the rest of his body is irrelevant, and the entire ball would have had to be outside the end zone before Wake hit Dalton for it not to be a safety. NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino appeared on NFL Network shortly after the game to explain the call.

“The key is the position of the ball in relation to the goal line when Dalton is first contacted by Wake,” Blandino said. “We had a great look at it – a look right down the goal line. When Wake first makes contact with Dalton, the ball is breaking the plane of the goal line. If any part of that ball is breaking the plane when the contact occurs, and he is driven back into the end zone, it’s a safety. That was the ruling. It was reviewed in replay and confirmed. The entire ball has to be out of the end zone when the contact occurs for it not to be a safety.”

Blandino noted that if an offensive player is tackled with the ball halfway in the end zone and halfway out, that is a safety. The ball would have to be entirely out of the end zone at the time Wake hit Dalton for Dalton to be credited with forward progress outside the end zone.

Dalton actually looked like he flinched a bit just before Wake hit him, bringing the ball backwards a few inches, and those few inches may have been the difference between the ball being entirely out of the end zone, and part of the ball being over the goal line. And all it takes is for part of the ball to be over the goal line, and it’s a safety. The officials got this one right.

I know anything can happen, but best case scenario, the Bengals have the ball at the one inch line. If they avoid a safety there, they’re probably going to be punting the Dolphins into field goal range anyway. This doesn’t seem like a Packers/Seahawks type of call, where the outcome was clearly incorrect as a result of the ruling. The Bengals were on the ropes, and probably lost fair and square, but either way, they were gonna have a tough time scrapping one out.

Instead of being “unhappy” with the safety there Marv you should be a bit more “unhappy” with 3 INT by a now back to earth Dalton. The refs got it right, so put the blame where it belongs (Dalton) and stop crying over a play that was called correctly.

Anyway, it should have 4th down and punt from deep in the end-zone, the phins would have the ball at about mid-field or better position.

Getting 12 to 15 yards would have them kicking a reasonable distance FG.

Get over it!

johnnyhose says:Nov 1, 2013 7:42 AM

Ahhh yeah I have been watching, playing, and gambling on football for about 34 years now and I’m still confused myself by this rule,

that just the tip of the ball has do break the goal line for a touchdown, and the whole ball has to be out of the end zone to not be a safety.

Never could figure it out and whether it is fantasy or the gambling aspect, I get screwed, and what’s even worse the great NFL competition committee continues to let this rule go as is, instead of making it uniformed on both sides of the offense, defense, the ball, and the goal line.

What the hell is this NASCAR ?

canetic says:Nov 1, 2013 7:45 AM

Andy Dalton doesn’t know the rules? He doesn’t know whether it’s his foot or the ball that has to be outside the end zone? Amazing.

Even if he was 100% correct, Marvin Lewis ought to shut up. The play was reviewed and the call stood. End of discussion. All Lewis has accomplished is the reinforce his and the Bengals’ reputations for being whiners. You lost Marvin. Your team had a lot of opportunities to win and you still lost, to a team that had dropped 4 straight. You are still 1 1/2 games up in a crappy division and almost a lock for the playoffs. If you want to worry about something Marvin, focus on the fact that your team hasn’t won a playoff game since “Icky” Woods.

The angle we got clearly shows forward progress beyond the goal line. Perhaps a clarification of the forward progress rule, is needed. Contact was initiated while the ball was outside the endzone and he was pushed back upon being tackled.

The more egregious call happened on an apparent 53 yard TD by Marvin Jones, which was overturned due to a phantom, holding call.

Don’t blame the refs. Defense should have held the lead in the final minute, Jermaine Gresham shouldn’t have held that negated a touchdown, Mohamad Sanu shouldn’t have had 2 dropped passes in crucial situations.

And I’m unhappy with the helmet to helmet no call hit on Sanu. Also unhappy with the bogus holding call on Gresham that called back Marvin Jones’ touchdown. We played the dolphins and the refs tonight

jjconley says:Nov 1, 2013 8:19 AM

Qdog is 100 percent correct. Refs gave the Dolphins a 14 point swing on that Jones touchdown. I saw pass interference called and not called both ways that seemed to even out, except for that touchdown. And once you account for the angle of the goal line on the safety, a freeze frame shows the ball didn’t break the plane. Bengals line on both sides of the ball played poorly, but they did enough to win–just not enough to beat the refs.

What is it with these PROFESSIONAL football players not knowing basic rules?

dankinator says:Nov 1, 2013 8:21 AM

The Bengals did most of that to themselves. Dalton’s poorly timed throws that lead to INT’s….

But he got them back into the game and had a chance to redeem himself, and what does Gruden do? He calls 3 straight pass plays in a row, from the 7 yard line, out of shotgun. Why would you do that when Dalton’s already having an off night and your run game is what has put points on the board? That was STUPID. If I was Lewis, I’d take away Gruden’s car keys and wallet and make him walk home after that.

kokomike says:Nov 1, 2013 8:27 AM

If Dalton knew the rule, he would have flinched forward instead of pulling the ball back. Every QB should know this rule. NFL 101.

flash1283 says:Nov 1, 2013 8:27 AM

So the refs were paid off? You know because that’s what “they” say when NE gets a questionable call that IS the correct call?

Right Fish fans, remember last week?

Enjoy fighting it out for second place….

browntown57 says:Nov 1, 2013 8:28 AM

<>

What’s not to understand? Your own comment pretty much explains it. If you simply just need to break the front of the plane going IN to the endzone for a touchdown, wouldn’t it then make sense that the ball would need to be completely past that same plane to be considered OUT of the endzone going in the other direction???

annes22 says:Nov 1, 2013 8:29 AM

We were sitting right there, it was a correct call so get over it you “cry babies”. Sorry we ruined your record, but that’s the way it is.

Someone tell Mr. Elite you can’t take a sack in overtime in the end zone!!

fsstnotch says:Nov 1, 2013 8:38 AM

Its not rocket surgery folks! If the ball breaks the plane of the endzone… TD or Safety…. its called a touchdown or safety! Its not whole ball on either side of the line, you are comparing opposites. If the ball contacts the plane of the goaline, it is considered to be in the endzone, PERIOD.

There was no phantom call for holding on the Jones TD, Gresham CLEARLY turned the defender away from a potential tackle.

Hartline got MUGGED on a 3rd down no call…
Wallace got MUGGED on a would be TD if Newman doesnt flat out tackle him.
Hartline was flagged for PI when the defender simply fell down.
Announcers pointed out a blatant hold on a running play that got cincy a 1st down on 3rd down.

Cincy O-line was manhandled last night.

Lets say no safety, I guess they could have punted from the 1″ line in which case it either gets blocked, snapped out of bounds, or the punter rushes a bad kick and miami kicks a very makable fg to win anyways.

The right team won the game.

grndizzle says:Nov 1, 2013 8:38 AM

Maybe Dalton should have gotten rid of the football. He had Jones running wide open 10 yards in front of him.

I think the safety call is the wrong call to take any issue with – it was close enough to have made the call and too close to overturn it. Even if it isn’t – they likely come down and end the game on a FG (or even worse it ends in a tie) – as an NFL team – you should never put yourself in a position to allow the refs to determine the outcome of any game.

I would agree with Dolphins fans on the PI call on Hartline – but would counter with the hold on Gresham that negated a TD and was essentially a 14 point swing after the pick 6 that came back on that drive. (There were a lot of bad calls to go around)

I would be curious to get an explanation (from anyone) on the INT that Sanu dropped and got blown up on a helmet to helmet – It was a nice pick, but he got hit helmet to helmet as a defenseless receiver. It is what it is – but I think this is another example of how this rule is about as inconsistently called as possible.

Worst thing for the Bengals isn’t the loss, but the loss of Geno Atkins – These Thursday night games seem to have a lot of injuries.

grndizzle says:Nov 1, 2013 8:41 AM

@johnnyhose:
I don’t see your problem with the rule. If the tip crosses the goal line its a TD. If the tip is over the goal line when the offense gets tackled it’s a safety. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

Actually the rules are very consistent for TDs and Safeties . If any part of the ball is over the line it is a TD or a Safety . I find it ridiculous that some people are confused by it. If any part of the ball breaks the plane of the goal line it is in the end zone period

Fan of neither team. Fun game to watch. I do think the safety call was right though.

In general the game was poorly officiated. It seemed as if they missed lots of obvious calls on both teams and then tried to “make” them up with some questionable calls later.

I’m also not sure the Dolphin receiver on the final drive to tie the game actually had both his feet in bounds. It looked like he had one in, and the other one looked superficially as if it were dragging on the ground, but I couldn’t tell if it was dragging on it or floating over it.

On the other side, Bengals cornerback Terrence Newman was beaten for a touchdown and instead tackled the Dolphin receiver on that play. Smart play because the Dolphins punted on the drive, but Karma probably bit the Bengals in the end.

The Bengals received 2 huge gifts from the refs; One was an offensive interference call against Hartline that was clearly a fall down by the DB. Moreover on another play the Bengals DB hit the Miami receiver on a big 3rd down play early which should have been called as interference. The Bengals are crying about a play that shows the ball was in the end zone area when Dalton was hit for the safety.

Ahhh yeah I have been watching, playing, and gambling on football for about 34 years now and I’m still confused myself by this rule,

that just the tip of the ball has do break the goal line for a touchdown, and the whole ball has to be out of the end zone to not be a safety.

Never could figure it out and whether it is fantasy or the gambling aspect, I get screwed, and what’s even worse the great NFL competition committee continues to let this rule go as is, instead of making it uniformed on both sides of the offense, defense, the ball, and the goal line.

What the hell is this NASCAR ?

——————————————

ummmmmm…. it’s uniform now, if any part of the ball crosses the plane of the goal line in both cases, points are awarded. If the whole ball had to be in the endzone for a TD, THAT would be inconsistent. Right now it is consistent in that any part of the ball crossing the plane counts.

Me thinks the NFL is trying to make the rule fit the call. Fact is when Wake first makes contact with Dalton is when he hits Daltons left arm. Where is the ball then? Out of the endzone. But the NFL wants to act as if first contact is with Dalton’s torso, when the ball is breaking the plane. Just not so.

azarkhan says:Nov 1, 2013 9:14 AM

The NFL is fixed! The Patriots always get every call! Brady obviously has help from the officials!! What?… Oh, it was the Dolphins, not the Patriots, who won last night? Sorry!

I wonder how the Bengals felt about the offensive “pass interference” call against Brian Hartline, that wasn’t or the non-call defensive pass interference on Brian Hartline, that was. They seem rather mum about those miscues.

The safety was clearly a safety.

Big win for the Dolphins. They desperately needed this one.

Phins ^

r8dernation says:Nov 1, 2013 9:18 AM

I didn’t see the play, but by the sounds of it, I have to commend the refs for having the guts to make that call. They always give the offense the benefit of the doubt on calls that could be a safety.

Dolphins defense made play after play last night. Bengals played well but not well enough to overcome 4 TOs. And finally, Mike Sherman didn’t lose this one for us.

bklion says:Nov 1, 2013 9:30 AM

While this apperas to be the correct call, why would I ever believe anything paid NFL rules shill Dean Balndino says? It seems as if the league in ther “infinite wisdom” go out of their way to tweak rules for no reason. For example, I dont know one person who thinks the idiotic “process” rule is a good one, particluarly on balls in the end zone. In fact, it makes no sense. Once a player has the ball in their posession and crosses the goal line, the play is a TD and therefore dead. But now, if a receiver hits the ground and the ball pops out, it doesnt count? Sheer idiocy. Especially when you consider that if a runner merely breaks some invisible plane with the ball, even though no other part of their body is anywhere near the endzone, that somehow is a TD. It’s as if the rules are purposely confusing for the players, coaches, fans, and to a lesser extent the officials so the league can hide behind them when they’re busy handing games to favored nation status teams like GB, NE, CHI, NYG, etc.

When I first saw the play last night I agreed with the call, but thinking about it this morning. How often does a player reach out with his arms and then voluntarily pull the ball back into his body and the further spot is almost always given. Think about the QB 4th and 1 play reaching the ball over the line. How often do they jump reach the ball out and pull it back? Am I wrong in thinking that play contradicts this rule?

mikebrownfeedsondreams says:Nov 1, 2013 9:35 AM

Phantom hold on Gresham that negated Jones’ TD and lead to the pick. You can’t straight faced tell me any different.

CLEAR helmet to helmet hit on Sanu when he should have caught the ball anyway, and defender picks it off. That hit is called 99 times out of 100, but not against us??

Yeah, the Bengals played poorly like many of us suspsected they would, just smelled of a trap game. Every team has injuries piling up now, but we weren’t able to overcome ours and the playcalling was pretty suspect for most of the night.

All of these Dalton haters jumping off the bandwagon was expected but I still don’t understand it. It wasn’t like he wasn’t moving the ball and converting a lot of LONG third downs for us. He’ll bounce back.

I’m a Bengals fan and I say they just need to take the loss and move on to next week. They played pretty bad last night. It looked to me the ball was out but whatever we woulda lost if we punted the ball back to them with good field position anyways. Quit complaining Bengals and get back on the grind. WHO DEY!

Are you kidding me? You make millions & lead an NFL offense. Buy a rule book!!!

As is the case for many games in this NFL teams have to account for, play & score at a level to overcome any questionable, marginal or subjective calls by the refs throughout the contest that may affect the outcome!

So they now have lost to the Bears, Browns, and Dolphins. The schedule doesn’t get much easier for them in the next few weeks, either.

jr4real says:Nov 1, 2013 10:03 AM

Very impressed with Dolphins. At least in the first half.

If you dont like the Safety call, maybe block someone next time.

dolphinswin says:Nov 1, 2013 10:04 AM

The holding call on Gresham was correct. When the play actually happened you could see him hold (I think Wheeler) and keep him from pushing Jones out of bounds. The replay made it look like a bad call because of the angle they used. If you watch the play again, it was the right call. The PI on Hartline looked like a bad call, but again, I didn’t see a real good angle on in. The hit on Sanu was borderline and could’ve gone either way. Not really a bad non call, just could’ve gone either way. The non call against Jones on Hartline late in the game on 3rd was a drive killer! That one was the only really bad call(non-call) that I saw.

thegenoatkinsdiet says:Nov 1, 2013 10:06 AM

Count me as one Bengals fan who does not understand either why those comments were made nor why they didn’t run on first or second down to give themselves more room to minimize the possibility of a safety.

Dolphins outplayed us & won fair & square…..Dalton the OLine, AJ Green…..we were all AWFUL on the short week road trip. Good win fish. Now rest up for 10 days because the stretch run is coming and its time to make a push!
WHO DEY!!!

. This doesn’t seem like a Packers/Seahawks type of call, where the outcome was clearly incorrect as a result of the ruling.
============

False. By the rules in the NFL rulebook, Golden Tate did indeed score a TD. He had two feet down before MD Jennings did, constituting possession first.

Blame the book, not the refs. It was just like the Brady Tuck rule: Correct by the book, horribly incorrect based on logic.

mwcarolina says:Nov 1, 2013 10:34 AM

It was the right call. Dalton was in the end zone when hit and he couldn’t get out which is a safety.

alan3008 says:Nov 1, 2013 10:36 AM

Here is a clue, Dalton: You are a PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER. You should KNOW ALL THE RULES. Not knowing them is inexcusable. Also, take ownership of your position and object to some of the totally STUPID calls coming in from the sidelines, that last one being one of them.
But, this game was lost primarily by the coaching staff and whoever was calling the stupid plays at the end.
1st stupid call: At the end of regulation, with the bengals in field goal range, and less than two minutes to play, they throw a low-percentage pass STOPING THE CLOCK. Stupid stupid stupid. They should have run the damn ball and burned much more time off the clock. If they had done this, Miami would likely not have had time to tie the game. The Bengal coaching staff clearly were not thinking.
2nd stupid call: With 5 seconds left in regulation, why not throw a bomb to Green or Jones and try for a touchdown? No, they take a knee to go into overtime and then lose the toss. Miami takes first possession in OT.
3rd and 4th stupid calls: Bengals driving in overtime, four yards at the most short of getting in Newman’s range for a field goal. What do they do?… Instead of run twice to get the yards needed, they AGAIN throw two low-percentage passes, both incomplete, then they punt.
5th stupid call: Calling a pass play, putting Dalton in the end zone for yet another sack and a safety, costing the Bengals the game.
Whoever is calling the plays should never call plays for them again. If I was Dalton, I would be furious.
In addition, Bengal receivers dropped four or five passes that hit them right in the numbers. Inexcusable! One pick hit a Bengal receiver right in the hands. One of the other interceptions Dalton had would not have happened if the receiver did a basic, fundamental thing: Come back towards the ball to catch it instead of just sit there and wait for the ball to come to you. It got picked as a result because the defender went toward the ball. The other pick was just thrown too late, into coverage. Horrible.

jakethesnake57 says:Nov 1, 2013 10:37 AM

It’s unbelievable that Andy Dalton doesn’t know what determines a safety!!! That’s as bad as Donovan McNabb not knowing the game ends with a tie if nobody scores after one quarter in OT.
They sure don’t make field generals the way they used to!

mogogo1 says:Nov 1, 2013 10:38 AM

I’d be more unhappy with how Dalton played overall. One of the INTs hit the receiver in the hands, but still, 3 picks with one being a pick 6, tackled for a safety, and a fumble. Brutal game.

I will agree on one thing… This Officiating Crew absolutely sucked! However, for you Bengals fans to think the bad calls only went your way is plain crazy. Clearly the Safety is an open shut case. However, the Phins have been victimized on more blatantly bad calls this year than any team… See Patriots and Ravens games. However, here is the difference… In both games the winning team outplayed the Dolphins. As in this case, the Dolphins outplayed the Bengals and in the end Bad Calls aside Cincy could not move the ball when they needed. Tannehill and his no-name scrubs did with 39 seconds and no timeouts to force OT. I rest my case.

deadeye says:Nov 1, 2013 10:42 AM

I suppose the Bengals were happy with the crap offensive push-off call against Hartline, and the crap no call when the Bengal defender tackled Hartline before the ball got to him.

Gotta love the NFL, they really do strive to spread crappy officiating out equally.

osiris33 says:Nov 1, 2013 10:44 AM

JJConoly and Qdog are both correct. I’m Stunned that Bill Leavy, the bag man of Super Bowl XL, could make such mistakes. Stunned I tell you.

The Bengals should be upset. Not because of the call, but because of their own play calling in that spot. Horrible.

FinFan68 says:Nov 1, 2013 11:30 AM

That was a good call in a game that had several bad ones on both sides. The block in the back on that crazy Bengals run wasn’t called. The Dolphins were holding a few times that weren’t called (Bengals too). The Hartline sideline catch was very close and should have been reviewed but wasn’t. Questionable interference calls/non-calls. Maybe it’s just me but it seems like the officiating this year is worse across the board than normal

melikefootball says:Nov 1, 2013 11:32 AM

If it was the replacement officials the two in the booth would not have stopped, they are afraid of the NFL, as it becomes a weaker sport as the seasons go by under Gödel. Not that it matters but I stopped buying NFL merchandise and stopped going to the two games I would travel 900 miles to see my team play. To many rules, to many fines to much inconsistency from the field with refs to the office with Gödel.

Safety call was the right one. However that holding on Gresham on the Marvin Jones touchdown was bogus. Guess the ‘Phin fans forget than when they get the PI call on Hartline. We’re even kids. Marvin Lewis should worry less about the safety call and more about the run D. It was bad even before Atkins got hurt and left the game. Dalton played god awful. Took sacks where he should have thrown the ball away and threw 2 bad INT’s. The 3rd was on Sanu. He should have caught that ball. But Dalton also got screwed on what, 5 or 6 dropped balls. It all comes out in the wash.

Marvin should be complaining about the garbage holding call that negated the marvin jones td or the helmet to helmet hit on sanu that cause an interception. But enjoy the victory dolphins fans I’ll be thinking of you in January while where in the playoffs

shlort says:Nov 1, 2013 11:54 AM

The call was right. The play was shown a few times from the line angle and Dalton may have had his feet outside of the end zone, but the ball completely on or over the line as he drew it back in anticipation of the hit. Safety.

If they got this one right, then it’s a lot closer than Blandino is suggesting. The ball was in a vertical position and he was touched by the defender long before he took that ball very far backwards. Even though he was likely going to go further on his own, he has forward progress protection to a certain point. That’s about as close as you can get, there was maybe only one inch away from that being a different call.

The painful thing to me was the old Bengals showed up and played down to their competition again. You let a suck team stay around and they will eventually beat you with momentum.

The pick-six was the turning point…yes it shouldn’t have happened as the holding call on Gresham was crap, but you can’t throw that ball. But it wasn’t just Andy…Sanu, AJ, the significant XXXX-up by Gresham which seemingly happens every game…these plays lost the game. Football games turn on big plays…we had a bunch of them left on the field.

My last rant…why..why…WHY do we continue to use BJGE early in the game and in any key third down (more than 3rd/1 or 2)? Why? Bernard gets rolling and we switch him out. Yes I know he got injured late, but where was he in the first half? The guy is worth 10 points per game in my opinion and we feel the need to keep him on the sideline. WHY?

i see all these posts about players/coaches knowing the rules… i cannot say I completely agree with this… there are SO MANY rules and interpretations to these rules, that it is impossible to know them all. There are alot that you never hear about until a situation actually happens… usually, there are one or two coaches on the coaching staff that know the all of the rules and potential application/interpretation…

The Bengals should just shut it, first off the call was correct; secondly, they were gifted both a pass interfence call for them and a non-call on pass interference against them in the same game that both looked pretty darn clear.

Me thinks the NFL is trying to make the rule fit the call. Fact is when Wake first makes contact with Dalton is when he hits Daltons left arm. Where is the ball then? Out of the endzone. But the NFL wants to act as if first contact is with Dalton’s torso, when the ball is breaking the plane. Just not so.

Sounds like you’re saying anytime a mobile QB like Big Ben, RG3, Wilson scrambled backwards to avoid a tackle with a defender making contact or hanging on them, the play should be called dead as soon as contact is made I guess. Actually it’s all moot since part of the ball was on the wrong side of the goal line in the first place. Too many bogus calls against the Fins throughout the game for the Bengals to complain about anything!

schneiderbengal says:Nov 1, 2013 12:32 PM

there was def some bad calls both ways, there ALWAYS is in every game each week for sure. but the booth not reviewing the hartline catch late in the game was missed, they at least have to take a look. poor Geno

alan3008 says:Nov 1, 2013 12:44 PM

annes22,

Miami, now at 4-4, aren’t going anywhere. They suck and were EXTREMELY lucky to get by with this win today. With the short week, being at home helped them much more than normal.

annes22 says:Nov 1, 2013 1:13 PM

Get over it Bengal fans, you had some calls last night that you should not have had. Andy Dalton is no Tom Brady, and I guess you saw that last night, with the safety. Maybe he should learn the rule on what a safety is. alan3008 you have no idea where the Dolphins are going, and what does a short week have to do with anything. Less time for injuries stupid. Being at home doesn’t help the Dolphins, they play better away, in case you didn’t know it. Look at their results.

He did not get tackled untill he was IN THE END ZONE. You pulled the the ball back INTO THE END ZONE BEFORE you got tackleled. Since you made no forward progres, you lost the game in the more pathetic fashion known. Quit crying about it, and work on getting better field position next game.
It’s amazing the amount of rules players and coaches seem to be ignorant of in the NFL.

Can’t believe all the haters on here! #1 – if it was your team this call was made against you can say all you want that you wouldn’t be complaining about it but you would! #2 – Don’t hate on Marvin for not agreeing with the call…I’ve seen other coaches in the NFL get more upset over less before! #3 – Criticizing Andy Dalton for not knowing the rule?! Well…I remember a few years ago a quarterback named Donovan McNabb that didn’t know you could end a game with a tie in the NFL. And as far as the comparison of Andy Dalton to Tom Brady…Andy Dalton may not be considered a Super Bowl caliber QB at the moment but he did beat a Super Bowl caliber QB a few weeks ago…TOM BRADY!!! Just sayin…

nflgreedleague says:Nov 1, 2013 1:51 PM

Same old story, winning team happy with the refs and the losing team unhappy with them.
When will you all realize that the refs are simply lackeys doing the bidding of Roger Goodell and the his partner organized crime!

I am not a fan of either team so defenitely no bias here. When I watched the game I thought for sure it was defenitely a safety given that Dalton pulls the ball back as he is being hit past the goal line and into the end zone.

However, when thinking about it more I think Marvin Lewis may actually have a case. According to the rulebook it seems like it should be down inside the 1. Why? Because the position of the ball when the tackle is being made and completed is irrelevant (unless you end fumbling). The only relevant piece of information here is the position of the ball the second contact by the defender is made with the ball carrier. In the instant where Wake initiates contact with Dalton the ball is outside the plane. It is only during the rest of the process of making the tackle that Dalton pulls the ball back a few inches into plane and thus into the endzone.

And uh, how about the blatant block in the back that allowed Bernard to go free on that silly TD run? I don’t think the Bengals should be whining about calls after getting away with that one.

dirtdawg54 says:Nov 1, 2013 5:55 PM

There really are a lot of dumb people in this world. Folks, this is simple. When you are going into the end zone, the ball only has to break the plane to be considered a TD (that is, the ball is “in” the end zone at that point). If that is true, and everyone who follows football knows this to be true, then the opposite of that is true when coming out of the end zone. In other words, the entire ball must be out of the end zone.

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say its a TD when part of the ball is over the end zone line but it’s not a safety when part of the ball is over the line.